BLOG: 25 years of laughs in Springfield

EVERYONE grows up with a favourite childhood programme. Whether it be The Looney Tunes or Sesame Street, we simply can’t resist watching the programme we loved so much when we were young, even when we reach adulthood.

The only problem with this is that we usually end up watching the repeats. While it’s always good fun to relive the greatest moments, this can, however, sometimes lead to eventual boredom as the entertainment factor soon starts to fade.

Some shows have managed to escape this monotonous paradigm, though, and The Simpsons, who celebrated their 25th anniversary on Wednesday, are a fine example of this.

Matt Groening’s characters have never been short of a few gags and that is what has made the show such a great success in the present day. So just to celebrate Springfield’s silver milestone, here’s its top five funniest moments.

The greediness of Homer

Homer is commonly known for having eyes bigger than his belly – fact. Not a moment goes by when the plant worker isn’t salivating over the thought of refreshments, so it was only natural that he’d try to satisfy his craving by sticking his arm into a vending machine in the hope that he could con himself a free drink. His wittiness backfired, however, when he foolishly got his arm stuck in the vender. In such a crisis you obviously need some chocolate to calm yourself down. That doesn’t mean you have to stick your second arm in another machine though, and that’s just what Homer did. D’oh!

Rating: 10//10

Prank calls at Moe’s Tavern

Prank calling is comedy genius, no matter how many times you do it, hence why The Simpsons have used this practical joke on numerous occasions. Bart was the obvious character to utilise in this continuous line of hoaxes, due to his mischievous personality, while Moe Szyslak was rightfully selected to be the unfortunate victim as he is well-known for having a short temper. In a long history of crank calls, the best one has to be “I’m looking for a friend of mine, last name Jass, first name Hew.” For anyone who hasn’t seen this one, it’s the call in which Bart is finally caught out as who should answer the phone other than Hew Jass.

Rating: 8/10

Ralph Wiggum tries to act smart

We all know that slow kid from class. The one who constantly had his finger up his nose while eating paint. That is Ralph down to a T. During a private session with Principal Skinnner, Ralph boasts his one brain cell by correctly spelling the word cat, unbelievable I know. Just when it seems he’s had an intellectual breakthrough, Ralph then makes a serious ‘doodoo’ when he praises himself soon after by saying, ‘I’m learnding’. It’s a good job the programme is based in a floating timeline as he probably needs another 25 years of development in the second grade.

Rating: 8/10

Homer's Imaginary chainsaw

When your house has been broken into by a blood-thirsty mob and you’ve just barricaded your bedroom door but they’re still coming through, what do you? I know! Pretend you have a chainsaw and make a rasping whirr to scare them off. This awkwardly didn’t work for Homer, though, as the mob rapidly realised his amateurish impression of a mechanical power-driven cutting tool. Again… D’oh!

Rating: 7/10

Martin’s showdown with the bullies

There is no greater satisfaction than beating your childhood bully and Martin Prince knows full well how that feels. Having put up with a lifetime of torment from Nelson Muntz and co. at school, the chubby fourth grade student one day decided that enough was enough – although his decision may have been influenced by the fact that Springfield was on the verge of ultimate destruction in Simpsons: The Movie. Nevertheless the comedy in seeing the goody two-shoes pupil whacking his tormentors over the head with a 6x4 was truly hilarious.

Rating: 6/10

Over the last 25 years several actors have voiced the characters, take a look at the slideshow below which highlights the top five British actor appearances in The Simpsons.

Top 5 British celebrity appearances in The SimpsonsHave a look at the top 5 British celebrities who have made an appearance in The Simpsons.1. Simon CowellSimon made has made three appearances in Springfield, having first played as a brutally honest judge in the episode "Smart & Smarter".originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 460height 6342. Sir Paul McCartneySir Paul first appeared in the episode "Lisa the Vegetarian" as himself, alongside his now deceased wife Linda. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 460height 4633. Daniel RadcliffeDaniel played the voice of a vampire named Edmund in "Treehouse of Horror XXI", in a segment that parodies the Twilight novel and film series.originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 460height 4904, Stephen Hawking Stephen has played himself four times in cartoon show, as he made his debut appearence in "They saved Lisa's brain".originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 460height 4425. Sir Ian McKellenSir Ian, who has previously been in The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and X Men, has made just the one appearence on the show, played himself in "The Regina Monologue".originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth 460height 598By Liam McCallion(Twitter: @LiamMcCallion23)